Dear all,

Following the latest Government announcement we are now busy planning for the return to school  from Tuesday 19th of April.

We do not yet have confirmation from the Education Bureau (EDB) of the precise framework

for students to return in April, but we know that the resumption of full day classes is linked to the students vaccination status. The EDB has stated that full day classes can resume if all staff members and 90% of students have received 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine. Exemption is provided according to medical reasons. 100% of our JCSRS staff are already vaccinated.

We are collating student vaccination records through the ESF App by parent upload. We are not able to transfer the information that we have previously sent to us via the Google form to the VLE, therefore we remind you please to upload your child’s Covid-19 vaccination record through the app. Instructions for how to complete this important process are here. Please rest assured that we use all vaccination records sent to us (App, google  form, emails) to inform our plans. If we don't have vaccination records for particular students we will reach out to their parents.

I will update you again early next week and confirm the specific arrangements to the JCSRS community. This term has brought its unique challenges and we know there are many more ahead of us, but one thing remains and that’s our collective desire to always put our students first. Thank you in advance for your support with all our efforts to keep the school safe.

Next week, during our whole school assembly, we will be saying goodbye to three staff members, who have made numerous contributions to our school community and will be greatly missed by us all: 

• Sarah Molles, PE Educational Assistant

• Venus Chan, Educational Assistant

• Tilly Brewin, Nurse.

I am sure you will join me in wishing them all the best in their future endeavours.

We look forward to seeing you all during the online assembly next week and after Easter at school for face-to-face learning.

With very best wishes,

Anna

Cooking up a Storm in PE

Since the beginning of February we have been developing students' abilities to make a choice while on Zoom. This choice was for gathering their ingredients (exercises) to make an exercise dish via either a video or poster.

When creating their exercise video (dish), secondary students were asked to be active presenters in their video by introducing both themselves and the NPDL project. They were then required to choose 4-6 exercises and present their exercises for 30-40 seconds. There was also the option for adding in technique tips along the way before ending their video by thanking viewers and saying goodbye. We have been impressed by the level of presenting and will be sharing them with other students as part of PE Zoom sessions.

For primary students they were also required to make a choice and be active participants in holding and completing their 4 chosen activities in order to be photographed to make their NPDL poster. Over the weeks we have seen improved body positions, body tension and development of weight on hands. Some positions have been so challenging that we had a few adults saying how tiring the Lame Dog Walk is for them in the recent parent/teacher consultations when demonstrating to their child. Kudos to our strong and very able JCSRS primary students!

Please enjoy the links to a few posters and videos below.

Today we highlight posters from Daniel and Damon in Diamond class holding strong positions in their chosen positions.

Highlight videos are from our budding exercise presenters of Ethan in Ruby class, Paolo in Jade class and Isis in Sapphire class.

Mental Health Awareness Session

March 30th from 4.00 - 5.00pm on Zoom

Please indicate your intentions to attend by completing the sign up form by today (Friday March 25th).

Zoom link will be shared following sign up.

Share your favourite recipes and be a part of our NPDL Project!

Fill in this survey to let us know if you would like to share a favourite recipe in any of our three categories:

Sensory Baking, Meals for Me and/or Family Favorites.

Your recipes will be shared and published in our online cookbook.

You can expect to hear from our team in Jade/Ruby Class who will be in touch for details following your completion of the survey.

Webinar: Strengthening family wellbeing during the fifth wave of COVID

March 30th, 5:30pm

Key Themes:

1. Common stressors and ways to thrive during this time

2. How to help your child and family get through this time with fun and optimism

3. Self-care tips and mental wellness tools

4. Useful resources available locally

This webinar is open to all parents. Click here for more details and to register.

On Sunday 13th March SNNHK hosted a briefing from paediatric neurologist Dr Karen Yam Kwan Ming to discuss children and adolescents with additional needs and disabilities receiving the covid vaccination.

This session was to help parents make informed decisions about the vaccination and our school nurse Tilly has summarised it here for you.

Sharing books with your children is a great way to teach language alongside building relationships.

We talked about this at this month's AAC meetup. Thank you to all those who attended and we hope you enjoyed sharing your favorite books.

Click here to view our presentation on Shared Reading.

Click here for the presentation slides.

April is Autism Awareness Month, and with this comes sales on different ACC apps. See poster below for more information:

Spotlight: Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week

What is Down’s Syndrome?

Watch the short film ‘Chromosomes R Us’ by actors with Down Syndrome on how Trisomy 21 occurs. Made by Shabang Inclusive Learning in collaboration with Mediapreview. Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK.

World Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week, celebrated from the 15th to the 21st March every year, is a global event based on raising awareness for people living with Down’s Syndrome.  Created by the charity Down Syndrome International, World Down’s Syndrome Week has been backed by the United Nations.

The date of the event, the week that includes March 21st, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome, which is what causes Down's Syndrome.

How is Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week celebrated?

In connection with Down’s Syndrome International, different campaigns and awareness events are held on WDSW across the world, each one aimed at promoting ways to support the Down’s Syndrome community.

Social media is a popular way that campaigns are promoted, and the hashtag #lotsofsocks has been used to encourage people to wear multi-coloured socks, celebrating the 21st of March, Down Syndrome Awareness Day.

The wider theme of this year’s event will be ‘We Decide’: inspired by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, this will focus on the right of participation for those living with Down’s Syndrome. 

Further information:

• World Down Syndrome Day
• Downs Syndrome Association (UK)
• The Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association
• Love 21 Foundation